Internet Tech Blog

Perhaps most users, after installing an antivirus, then left the board, or only update it and never take notice the other things. If that’s what happen, antivirus can make the computer’s performance heavier and slowing the scanning process.

Standard setting does not mean the best, and even often computer works very slow or scanning process will be very slow. How to use antivirus software in more effective and efficient way?

Here are some tips:

For Offline User

If your computer is not connected to Internet or rarely connect to the Internet, then there are some things you can do:

• Turn off Auto Update features, do manual update with downloading virus database when it connect to Internet.
• If there any Anti Spyware or Email Scanner facilities, or other facilities associated with Internet connection, turn it off to reduce memory and CPU usage. If your computer is sometimes connected to the Internet, spyware scan can be done manually, every few days or once a week.
• Download virus definition (update) maximum of once a week. Although there is no specific limitation, but more often is better.

For Online Users

If your computer is always online, or often, the few things that can efectively do:

• Enable Auto Update, once a day is enough, more often better.
• If you have email scanner or anti-spyware facilities, better you activate it, except you using other anti-spyware programs.

Virus Scan Process

The virus scan process on a computer can take quite a long time, for hours if you have a lot of files. To be effective and efficient, you can follow some tips:

• Disable Archive scan (compressed file, such as zip, rar, cab, etc), except you have plenty of time to scan. Because if this enabled, the scan process can be very long. Besides, if there is virus in the zip / archive file, it is not harmful as long as the file inside is not run or executed.
• Avoid direct settings to delete / heal / remove a file that is considered as a virus, it is better to select Quarantine (Move to Quarantine) or rename. Unless you already sure that the file is a virus, not a document or program that infected by virus.
• If you have option to scan certain files / options (smart extensions) and all files, better select smart extensions, scan will be much faster.
• For Scheduler Scan (Scan automatically each time), make sure that is set in the time when the computer is rarely used, or just non-active / disable the antivirus and scan manually. Because sometimes we do not know that antivirus doing scan which can take a very long time, causing the computer works very slow.
• When scanning, you should not run other programs, especially the heavy one. Also make sure to turn off the screensaver if you want to leave your computer.

General Optimalization

• Check your Virus Vault (Virus quarantine). If have too much content, remove the real virus or files that is not used again. If many files are the same size, possibily it is a virus, so just remove it or leave one.
• Activate Report facility, and save its report in a folder that is easily searchable.
• Always enable Resident Shield / Guard, as it always monitor the files every time.
• If not important, avoid using 2 or more antivirus simultaneously.

If you have any other tips of anti-virus usage, please give your opinion by commenting below, to complement this article.